Inhaler



Sept. 17, 1940. N PARK 2,215,188

INHALER Filed May 14, 1938 [[5 AKPAFKS IN V EN TOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Sept. 17, 1940 PATENT OFFICE I :INHALER Lee N. Parks, Caro, Mich Application May 14, 1938, Serial No. 207,889

2 Claims.

This invention relates to nasal appliances known as medicators or inhalers, used for the purpose of forcing prepared or medicated air or gas into contact with the effected parts, as distinguished from that type of appliances in which medicated air is applied to the parts by the act of inspiring.

An object of my improvement is to provide an appliance of such character that shall be comfortable to the patient, adapted to be firmly fastened to the cartilage partition, yet. easily detachable.

Another object is to provide means for getting a properly regulated supply of medicated air or gas to the nostrils, yet avoid causing any feeling of suffocation, such as has'commonly been experienced in the use of earlier apparatus, by providing at all times an adequate supply of fresh air to be breathed by the patient.

A further object is to provide adequate drainage for the nasal cavities through the apparatus without in any way interferring either with its medicine applying operation or with the normal breathing of the patient.

My claimed invention is concerned with the structure, arrangement, and mode of operation of the appliance and of its several co-operating elements.

To attain the above stated objects and certain others which will appear later in the specifications, I provide two fiat tubes of light non-corrosive material, mounted as a unit on a header member and appropriately shaped to fit the nasal cavities quite closely. Opposed yieldable or spring-pressed members are provided on the said tubes, being arranged so that when the tubes are in place the yieldable members grasp the two sides of the middle membrane of the nose and by their pressure hold the device in place.

For applying medicated air along with the supply of free atmospheric air each nasal tube is provided with a small conduit having an outlet through which medicated air or gas can be discharged into the larger interior space of each nasal tube. The small conduits may extend along the respective walls of the two tubes, and are connected together at their ends by the header. The header is in turn connected by a flexible pipe to any suitable source of medicated gas or air, or even to a source of volatilized or atomized fluid under pressure.

Having pointed out the nature and objects and general arrangement of a device embodying my improvements, reference may now be had to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side view of a preferred form of device embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a top view of the parts shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an end view.

Fig. '4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, showing a modifi'ed form of the device in inverted position, suited for use in cases where considerable fluid drainage is needed while medicament is being applied.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the device.

Preferably, the nasal tubes I, I are flat to conform quite closely to the general shape of the nostrils and in various sizes for infants or adults.

Their delivery ends 2 are suitably rounded and shaped. In Fig. l the ends of the tubes I are shown rounded from top to bottom for convenience when inserting the tube. The same feature is shown at 2 in Fig. 2. In both views the top of the tube as well as the bottom are shown closed. The intake ends 3 of the tubes are left open sufficiently to permit free breathing through them and are connected together by a transverse header 4. Associated with each tube I is a small conduit 5 which extends from the header 4 and has a discharge outlet 6 into the tube. A flexible tube I connects the header 4 to any appropriate source of supply (not shown) of medicament under pressure. Pressure and quantity of the supply are regulated by usual valve means under control of the operator.

While the patient breathes atmospheric air through the nasal tubes I, I in normal manner the operator supplies the requisite amount of medicated material through hose 1, header 4, conduits 5, 5, and the discharge outlets 6, 6.

Means for holding the apparatus in place may be any usual or suitable clamping device, but I prefer to employ two soft members 8, 8, on the inside walls of the two tubes I. These members may be soft rubber cups having their marginal edges secured to the walls of the tubes I, I. The members 8, 8 are yieldable enough to permit the middle nasal membrane to be slipped between them and are resilient enough to hold the device in place. To remove the apparatus the soft clamping members 8, 8 slip off the membrane when the device is taken away from the nose.

The apparatus in the form described can be conveniently used for inhaling vapors, fumes, anesthetics, or even atomized sprays. It is simple in construction, comfortable to use, and can be easily and quickly removed when necessary. In

use the patient feels practically no discomfort.

medicated gas.

corrosive metal alloy or of any of the suitable hard or soft composition materials that are available for the construction of devices of this character.

In the treatment of cases where considerable fluid is discharged from the nostrils, this apparatus, especially if used in the inverted position, Fig."

4, will give free and adequate drainage without danger of interfering with the requisite supply of The fluid discharges drain through the tubes l, l without at allinterfering withthe application of the treatment. In that important respect my improved device is distinguished from earlier devices known to me, wherein any discharge from the nostrils would flow into the gas supply tube or into the medicine container and cause trouble.

The inverted position, Fig. 4, is preferred in such cases, for it prevents any fluids from getting into the outlets 6, 6 and clogging them.

The header 4,-conduits 5, 5, and nasal tubes I,

The entire device may be made o f a light non- I are all fastened together as a single structure that can be cleaned and sterilized easily and quickly by heat or otherwise.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An inhaler having, in combination, a header adapted to be connected with a source of medicated material, a pair of nasal tubes conforming to the nostrils of the user, said tubes being open ended and-spaced apart, an end portion of each tube being fixed to said header, a conduit extending lengthwise within and along the bottom of each nasal tube and communicating with the header and with the interior of said tube, the said nasal tube presenting a channel alongside the conduit for permitting free flow of outside air I adequate for the breathing requirements of the user independently of the supply of medicated material delivered to said tubes, and laterally yieldable opposed members projecting from the walls of said tubes for mutual holding engagement with the nasal membrane of the user.

2. In an inhaler having, in combination, a header, a pair of nasal tubes conforming to the nostrils of the user, said tubes being open ended and spaced apart, an end portion of each tube being fixed to said header, a conduit extending wise of each nasal tube and communicating with the header and also with the interior of said tube, and laterally yieldable opposed members projecting from the walls of said tubes.

LEE N. PARKS. 

